Galileo Museum: Get a Glimpse of Genius

Florence is not usually a city one thinks about when they consider major technological advancements. But many people do know that the famous scientist, mathematician, physician and astronomer Galileo was born in Pisa (a duchy belonging to Florence at the time) and lived in the Tuscan area the majority of his life.

The Galileo Museum (or Museo Galileo) in Florence is the perfect opportunity to escape the overwhelming amount of art available. Kids will also enjoy this look into one of the great Italian minds, located right down the street from the Uffizi Gallery.

Galileo is famous for his work involving gravity and his agreement with the heliocentric theory. Neither the pope nor most figures of authority at the time agreed with this model; Galileo was asked to change his views, as they believed that they violated the models of the Council of Trent.

Galileo refused to renounce his ideas and work, so he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church by Pope Urban VIII and was forced into house arrest in Florence.

Despite his arrest, he was also able to make some of the most interesting and innovative scientific achievements during his time in solitude.

Today, you can see some of the tools scientists from his time used to come to these discoveries by visiting the Galileo Museum. It's the perfect location to spend the afternoon with any curious children that you might have, highlighting the Medici Family's collection of scientific objects, such as magnifying glasses and maps.

Visitors can take a break from the many art collections available in Florence and dive into a whole new view of the Renaissance.

The Medici Collection includes all of Galileo's tools of the trade, including his telescopes. These incredible inventions allowed Galileo to develop his innovative thoughts on physics and the solar system as we know them today. If you love maps and globes, this is also the location to see rare and surprisingly accurate celestial globes – one of the best collections in the world.

The Lorraine Collection, located above the Medici, is dedicated to Tuscany's accomplishments in electricity and chemistry in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The Galileo Museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. every day but Tuesday, when it closes at 1 p.m. The full price for an adult ticket is 9 euro, and children six through 18 and seniors over 65 are allowed a discount of 5,50 euro.

The Galileo Museum is on the Firenze Card plan, so if you have purchased one, then entrance to the museum is reduced.